Differential valve



Jan. 4, 1927.

c. F. PECKHAM DIFFERENTIAL VALVE 1921 3 Sheetsfseet 1 Filed Dec. 29,

` 1,613,478 Jam 4, 1927. C. F. *BECKHAM DIFFERENTIAL VALVE Filed DeoA 29. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 sheets-sheet Filed Dec. 29, 1921 Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

, Umrnp i rice.

CHARLES F. ECKHA/, 0F PRVIDENE, RHODE ISLAND.

DIFFERENTAL VALVE.

Application filed December 29, 1321. Serial No. 525,576.

`My invention relates to improvements in differential valves for use with the sprinkler `systems ot automatic `ire-entinguisliing apparatus. My improvements areV directed particularly ,to a type of valve or use with pressure ot' air acting directly or indirectly upon'the greater areao the delivery side ot .the valve-closure 4restrains the greater pressure upon `the lesser area oi yside of the closure.

the supply One robject of the improvement is to provide a valve of the type specilied whichwill open automatically and completely upon the reliet et pressure on its delivery side, and which will function promptly and positively to insure a direct, unobstructed iiow oi' the Aluid through `the valve to the sprinkler sys teni under ull head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve which when once opened cannot be closed again by bacl; pressure caused by the columning ot the fluid in the delivery system.

Another object ot the invention is to provide a valve which may be easily and conveniently reset in closed relation without particular skill or experience on the part l `chined to provide a smooth plane-surface of the operator. u

Anotherobject oiQ the improvement `is Vto sin'iplify the structure of the valve by reducing the number ot parts and eliminatingl complication of mechanism liable to dei'angeinent or getting out ot order. I

Another object oin 4the improvement is to provide a valve structure which is less liable to become clogged, or rendered inoperative from corrosion or other cause.

Another object oi' the invention is to provide a valve which is economical to manufacture and easy to install.

Further objects ot the improvement are set 'i'iortli in the following specification which describes a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompany iugdiawings. ln the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation oi my improved valve, showing it in vertical section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2;

Vll` 2, a plan view ot the delivery-chamber ofthe valve showing its side walls in sec .tion on. the line 2-2 ot Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view of a modified term of valve enibodying the invention; l

i closure. dry-pipe systems, so called, in which a lesser 3 dense character.

Fig. il, a plan view ot the delivery-chamber o1 the saine;r and i' gig. o, a similar view showing a somewhat diliei'ent arrangement of the valvel Referring lirst to F ig. 1, in 4.the present embodiment my improved valve-.mechanism enclosed 'within a shell or casing vvcom prising a supply-chamber l and a deliverycnamber 5. The supply-chamber 4t may consist oit a tubular casing 6 having fa .flanged inlet l" at its lower end adapted for connection with the iiange ot the water-main 8 by means olf the usual arrangement yof bolts lit the upper end of' the casing 6 is a ilat plate 1() which may be formedintegral tl'ierewith and set at an angle to the az-zis or' the throat of the casing. As shown in the drawings, the plate 10 is disposed at an angle oi substantially forty-live degrees to the vertical aXis of the throat for a purposev -iater explained, but it is to be understood that the inclination of the plate A ein may be varied and in certain instances it ii'iay he set in horizontal position, as shown in Fig. o, where the valve is designed for operation without the aid ot gravity.

The upper tace 11 of the plate 10 is maand interiorly threaded to adapt it to receive a ring 15 which is preferably constructed oit hardened bronze or similar material of rlhe upper iaoe 16 of the ring 15 is oriiied with 'a slight bevel to raise its inner rim 13 above the :tace 11 of 'the plate 10, while providing a sharp edge which serves as the seat tor the valve-closure,

to be later described.

The delivery-chamber 5 consists in a casing 2O ci substantially ovoid shape in plan view, see Fig. 2, and provided with a flanged i'iin 21 ot the ysaine contour. rlhe flange 21 .is ot the same outline as the plate 10 which surn'iounts the `supply-chamber casing 6 and is adapted to be secured thereto by means of suitable bolts 22 passing through holes therein. Usually a gasket 23 is placed between the tace o' the plate 10 and the flange 21 to insure a water-tight joint therebetween. rlhe upper wall 24 ol? the casing 20 is subpeculiar structure as nei-t described.

stantially flat and inclined upwardly away from the plate l0, being tor-ined at the top with a cylindrical neck arranged in axial alinement with the orifice l2 of the supplychamber 4. The neck 25 serves as the outlet for the valve and is provided with a flange 26 adapted to be bolted to the flange of a standpipe 2?' connected to the sprinkler' system. In the upper wall 24 of the casing 2O is a hand-hole 23 provided with a finished tace 29 surrounding its rim. A suitable cover 30 fits against a gasket 3l on the face 29 and is secured in place by studs 32 and nuts 33. Y

The valve-gate or closure for the passage 12 between the supply-chamber 4 and delivery-chamber 5 comprises the novel and Referring to Fig. l, the main element of the valve-closure 35 consists in a metal disk 36 having its rim sharply beveled at 37 on its upper side and arovided with a central post or stud 33. On the under side of the disk 36 is an annular recess 39, into which is fitted a flat ring or washer ot relatively soft metal which seats against the beveled edge of the ring 15. Outwardly beyond the seatring 40 is anarrow, annular groove 41 which is designed for a purpose as later explained. Over-lying the top of the main valve-disk 36 is a circular gasket 42 constructed of flexible -material7 such as rubber. The gasket 42 conforms to the beveled rim 37 ot the disk 36, and projecting beyond the edge thereofl seats against ,the face of' the plate l0 which is tinned to prevent sticking or close adhesion of the gasket thereto. rlhrough this arrangement of the gasket 42 a waterand air-tight joint is secured around the edge of the valve-disk 36. Gverlying the gasket 42 is a circular Sheetmetal plate 45 which 1 term the atmospheric-disk. The atmospheric-disk 45 is clamped against the gasket 42 by means of a nut 46 screwed onto the centralA stud 33. rlhe nut 46 screws down against the top of a flat arm 47, termed the radius-arm7 extending radially across the top or the disk 36, See Fig. 2. rlhe opposite end of the radius-arm 4? is pivoted to a post or stud 48 projecting above the plate 10, whereby to adapt the valve-closure 35 to hinge thereon as it swings across the opening l2. llhe arm 47 is tree to slide up and down on the stud 43 and is held in place thereon by a cotter-pin 49. rlhe outer rim of the disk 45 is dished to conform to the beveled rim of the main disk 36 while being spaced above the overlying rim of the gasket 42, the space therebetween being very slight so as not to allow the Yformation. of an eddy from the delivery-chamber 5 while water is discharging through the orifice l2 and under the disk 36.

The valve-closure or gate 35 is located in position to adapt it to seat concentrically with the orifice or port 12 by means of a suitable latch or detent. is herein shown the detent-means consists of a pin projecting above the face of the plate 10 and engaging the annular groove 4l on the under side of the disk 36. Preferably, the pin 5U projects trom the end or a stud 51 screwed into the under side of the plate 10. rl`he pin 50 is employed to locate the closure 35 in proper tent. lVith this object in view the stud 51 is screwed into the plate l0 to set the pin 50 in proper relation with respect to the upper tace of the plate and the slotted end of the stud is then filed oli so that the stud cannot be turned to disturb its adjustment.

rlapped into the under Side of the plate 10 is a nipple or pipe 55 opening into the delivery-chamber 5 beneath the valve-closure 35 within the conines of the overlying annulus of the gasket 42. The pipe 55 is connected to an alarn'i-valve, not herein shown, but arranged in the usual manner as well known to those versed in the art. The delivery-chamber is thus provided with a vent which permits a flow of fluid to operate the alarm when the main valve is opened to supply the sprinkler system, or if leakage develops in either chamber.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified form of the invention in which the valve casing is constructed in two parts, as before described, with the supply-chamber 4 having its top plate l() arranged in horizontal position. The valve-closure 35 seats across the supplyorifice 12 in Contact with the seat-ring l5, as before explained, and is located in position by the pin 50 engaging the groove 41 on the under side of the disk 36. rEhe closure 35 is also arranged to swing on a radius-arm hinged to a stud 43, but unlike the first described embodiment of the invention the closure is operated under spring pressure to initiate its movement across its seat. F or this purpose I may employ any suitable arrangement of mechanism and, as illustrated in F ig. 47 l makeuse of a flat Spring 62 anchored to a stud 63 projecting above the plate l0. The 'opposite end of the spring 62 bears against a pin 64 which projects from a lug 65 on the hub of the radius-arm 60, thus tending to swing the closure 35 into the position indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 1 have illustrated the valve as having a casing substantially the same as .as in the first described embodiment, the

valve-closure 35 is adapted to be operated `from the force of gravity tocause it to slide across the orice or port 12 `to remove lit from itsseat, but the radius-arm 1s dispensed Vwith. That is to say, the valve-closure is entirely free from any connection vvith the valve casing and is adapted to slide across the top-plate l0 ivithrits axis moving in a right line. l/Tith such a construction it is necessary to provide locating-means Whichwill normally hold the closure from lateral .movement 1n any direction and for this purpose I make use of three or more pins or doWels 6G which engage at different points around the groove il on the under side of the valve-disk 36.

Having now described the structure and arrangement of my improved valve, as embodied in several preferred forms, its methodvofoperation will next explained: As before stated, the flanged inlet 7 of the supply-chamber Ll is coupled to the Water-main 8, and the outlet`25 of the delivery-chamber 5 is connected to the pipe 27 leading to the sprinkler system. The vent nipple 55 is connected by a pipe 5G leading to the alarm valve, not showinand usually a small pipe 57 is tapped into the supply-chamber 4 and connected With a suitable pressure-gage. The Water-main 8 is generally provided with a. manually-operated gate or shut-off valve for shutting oif the pressure and this is closed before adjusting the gate or closure of the differential-valve. Vlith the shut-off closed the differential-valve is set for opera- .tion as follows: The hand-hole cover 30 is -removed and the valve-closure 35 placed across the orifice or supply-passage 12, see `Fig. l, `by swinging it on the axis of its radius-arm l?. it has beenexp'lained that the arm 43? is allowed to slide up and down on its pivot-stud or post 48 and this provision gives sufficient play to permit the disk 36 being lifted away from its seat-ring lo to engage the latch or detent-pin 50 with its groove lll. When the disk 36 is engaged with the pin 50 in this manner the closure 35 Will be held thereby and by the. arm i7 to locate it concentrically of the port or orifice i2 with its ring e'O seating against the beveled rim of the ring l5. Viith the valveclosure 35 in this position7 as shovvn in Figs. l and 2, the disk 36 will be spaced slightly above the face 1l of the plate 10, but it will be noted that the outer rim of the gasket 42 which overllangs the periphery ofthe disk will seat against the face 1l. After the valve-closure 35 has been'set in operative position in the manner as above explained the cover 30 is applied to the hand-hole 28 and bolted in place against its gasket 31 and the `reopuisite amount of'air pressure is applied to the delivery-chamber.

The gate inthe Water-main is noW opened and the valve is ready for operation.

lt has been noted that my improved. valve is designed foruse particularly With drypipe systems in which the Water is not admitted to the sprinkler pipes until the pressure'in the system is relieved by the opening of one or more ofr the sprinkler-heads. rlhe present type of valve is adapted to function 'without liquid in the delivery-chamber 5, but l have found it preferable to Vadmit a small amount of Water to said chamber to better seal the valve against its seat, particlularly as regards the gasket or damper 42 which is liable to become dry and hard so that it loses its flexibility. It is l'therefore the preferred practice to fill the deliverychamber 5 with Water and this may be done in any convenient manner as, for instance, by the use of a suitable by-pass or funnel leading into the delivery-chamber as indicated at 63; y

is has before been stated, the valve is designed to operate on the differential principle, that is with a lessor pressure acting upon the greater area of the delivery side of the valve-closure to restrain the greater pressure acting upon `the lesser area of its` ply-chamber l, then the differential ratio of the valve is 3. Assuming further, for convenience of explanation, that the Water pressure or head in the supply-chamber is feet, then a head slightly in excess of t feet in the delivery-chamber will maintain the valve closed. t must be understood, however, that the pressure of the `atmosphere must be added to each head, and taking vthis vas equal approximately `to 34 feet of Water (actually 33.9 feet) then the full head in the supply-chamber would be 66 feet While that in the delivery-chamber would `be 38 feet.

Now, when the sprinkler-systein is opened the head in the delivery-chamber Will be reduced to 34 feet (the approximate atmospheric pressure) While the head in the supply-chamber still remains at 66 feet. lt is -to be remembered, however, that the head on the under side of the disk o6 in the annular space betvveen the seat 13 and the rim of the gasket 42 is 34 feet or the atmospheric pressure. The areaof this annular space is approximately 8 minus l, or Y, and the area-head will therefore be 7 times 34 or 238 feet. Adding to this the head in the throat or supply-passage l2, which is 66 feet, as before stated, gives a total area-head of 304 feet on the supply side of the closure 35. Just as the valve opens, therefore, there is an area-head of 2'2 feet Iiis on the delivery side of the closure and a head of e ieet on its supply side, the diteience being 32, which is the torce acting under the disk to iorce it upwardly. In consequence oi this the valve-closure is raised oit Jirom its seat 13 and water commences to flow across the plate 10 under the disk 86 and gasket 42. 1t must not be supposed, however, that the closure is lifted violently or shot upwardly to the top of the delivery-chamber@ 0n the contrary, the closure is only raised cti from its seat to a slight extent, just suliticient to rel-ease it from the detent-pin 50. The reason for this is as follows: rlhe instant that the valve is opened and the liquid starts to iiow under the dislr 3G the heads in the supply-chamber L1- and in the annular space under the disk between the seat 13 and the rim of the gasket 42 undergo a decided change` in value, following the hydrodynamic law :--The greater the velocity in a continuous stream of liquid the less the pressure.7 yhis loss ot pressure head under the valve-closure'is 'ound by'experiment to begin at the center of the circumference oi the valve-throat, attaining its maximum value just beyond the edge of the orilice 12 and gradually diminishino as the stream approachef` the rim ot the disk 36. rl`he loss oi head at the rim ot the oritice 12 has been determined by experiment to be approximately one and one-half times the head in the supply-chamber when water is flowing through the valve with the valve-closure held in close relation with its seat by atmospheric pressure alone.

Assuming that the atmospheric-disk Ll5 has an area of 9 and the annular space under the disk 36 between the seat 13 and its rim being in consequence 8, then the area-head in this space while water is ilowing 'through the valve is 14A, absolute, or 128 below atmospheric pressure. The head on the supply-surface of the disk, however, is 32 plus the absolute pressure 1411- under the annulus, making a total of 176, `which ligure, in the present example, rep- 'reents the iorce tending to drive the valveclosure away from its seat. lt will therefore be obvious that since the pressure-head oi' 306 acting upon the delivery side of the valve-closure is greater by 130 than the pressure-head of 1767 actingl upon its opposite or supply-surface then the closure will be forced toward its seat. As a result of this difference in pressure the closure approaches its seat 13 until the velocity of the iiow ot fluid across the seat is retarded to a point where the area-head under the annulus equals 274, at which juncture the closure is stabilized with water passing through the valve.

The above described action and reaction of pressure on the valve-closure is practical- `ly instantaneous and thevdisk 36 remains floating on a iilm of water passing under it so that it may be moved laterally in any direction by the slightest torce. In the embodiment of the device illustrated in'Figs. 1 and 2, and lirstfdescribed, the valve-closure 35 is set at an angle to the horizontal and consequently itwill be infiuenced by gravity 'to slide across and away from its seat. That is to say, immediately the disk 36 is raisedfsuliiciently to tree its groove 11 Ytrom the detent-pin the force of gravity will act upon the closure 35 to slide it across its seat and downwardly across the plate 10 into the position indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 2. The closure swings in an arcuate course about the pivot 4S of its radius-arm -17 and linally brings up against the wall of the delivery-chamber 5 which acts as a stop therefor.

rlhe valve-closure slides across its seat with a considerable velocity which is gradually accelerated as the dislr 36A becomes more eccentric to its seat, the flow of iiuid toward the nearest point on its circumference being thereby increased and its reaction on the inoving'closure correspondingly Y augmented.

lt has also been demonstrated by experiment that asV the valve-closure 35 moves past the oriiice or passage 12 a slight tilting action takes place so that the under surface ot the dislr 36 is inclined to the force of the stream which tends to further accelerate its motion. 11n consequence of this `peculiar action the valve-closure is moved away `trom lthe supply-orice with an exceedingly quick action so that the valve is opened practically instantaneously and its functioning is rendered more prompt for the purpose desired.

ln the embodiment oi the invention illustrated in Figs. 8 and l the valve-closure 35 seats across the oriiice 12 in horizontal position with the pressure of the spring 62 acting to initiate its lateral movement to open the valve. A spring of very slight tension serves to perform this oliice since only very little pressure is required to start the motion of the closure, the force of the fluid flowing through the supply-orifice serving to continue its movement at an accelerated rate as above described.

The modilied form of the valve shown in Fig. 5 is designed for operation with the valve-closure disposed at an inclination to the horizontal as in the first described embodiment. lilith this type of valve the lateral movement of' the closure 35 is normally restrained by a plurality of detent-pins 66, but when the closure is raised off from its seat and released from the pins the torce of gravity acts to displace it to one side of the supply-orifice. 1n this instance, however, the radius-arm is dispensed with and the closure floats on the tihn of water be- Leraars neathit Without. being guidedr in its lateral movement.

It Will be observed from the foregoing that my invention provides a novel and peculiar type of differential valve which functions in a new manner to produce an improved result. rlhevalve is opened automatically upon the relief of pressure in the delivery-chamber and its action isV immediate and positive Without restraint or sluggishness from resistance liable to be encountered in overcoming the inertia of heavy parts. Furthermore, in opening the valve its closure is entirely removed from the valve seat and thus a direct and unobstructed passage is presented to the flow of the fluid. Moreover, the supply-orifice or passage cannot be closed or restrictedV by'baclr-pressure on its. closure due to columning of the Water inthe system or from other cause.

In addition to the-above' noted points it is further brought to attention that the mechanism of my improved valve is'particularly simple in structure and arrangen'ient` proof against derangement or getting out of order, and' free from joints or hinges liable to become inoperative from corrosion.

I believethat my present improvement is the first disclosure of a differential valve having its closure adapted to be moved laterally across its seat when lifted away therefrom in the manner and for the pnrpose as herein described, and therefore l claim this feature broadly Without restriction as to the structure and arrangement of the parts of the mechanism. Various modifications of structure and arrangement of the device other than those herein shown may be made Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention and, therefore, I claim:

l. In a. differential valve, the combination of a casing having an inlet provided with a valve-seat, a valve-closure adapted to be held against the seat under the pressure in the casing acting against a greater area on the upper surface of the closure than its area opposed to the pressure through the inlet, and means for maintaining the closure normally in register With the seat, the closure being released from said means when it is raised away from the seat upon the relief of pressure in the casing, whereby to permit the closure to slide freely across the seat to open the valve.

2. In a differential valve, the combination of a casing having a delivery-chamber with an inlet-port opening thereinto, a valveclosure in said chamber adapted to seat acrossv the port with a greater area of its surface opposed to the pressure in the chamberthan the area opposed to the pressure through the port, and means for normally maintaining said closure laterally in position to register with the port, the closure being released from said means when it is lifted upon the relief. of pressufe in the chamber whereby to permit the closure to move across the port to open the-valve.

3. In a differential valve, the combination with a casinghaving a supply-chamber and a delivery-chamber with a port communicating therebetween, of a valve-closure adapted to seat across the port with its greater area opposed to the lesser pressure in the delivery-chamber and a lesser area opposed to the greater pressure in the supply-chamber, and detent-means for holding said closure normally in register With the port While allowing it to he displaced laterally therea ross When the closure is lifted off from its seat.

with a casing having a supply-chamber and a delivery-chamber ivitha: port communi-` cating therebetween, of a closure adapted to seat across the port in the delivery-chamber, a radins-armpivoted at the side of the port and connected with the closure toY adapt the latter to swing laterally across the port, and detent-ineans for maintaining the closure normally in register with the port.

In a digerential valve, the* combination with a ca g having a supply-chamber and a delivery-chan'iber with a port con'nnunieating therebetween, of a closure adaptedto seat across the port in the delivery-chamber, and a detent acting on the closure to 'maintain `it normally in register withy the port While being adapted for release by vtheY lifting of the closure to permit the latter to4 move across the port to open the valve.

6. In a differential valve, the combination with a casing having a delivery-chamber and a. circular supply-passage opening thereinto, of a disk in the delivery-chamber adapted to seat across the supply-passage and to be held ink closed position With respect thereto by the pressure in the deliverychamber acting against a greater area on the dislr than the area opposed to the pressnre in the supply-passage, and means for normally maintaining the disk in substantially concentric relation With the seat of the supply-passage while permitting the disk to move laterally thereacross When lifted ofi' from the seat. y

7. In a differential valve, the combination with a casing having a delivery-chamber with a supply-passage communieatingV there- With, of an annular seat in the supply-passage disposed at an inclination to the horizontal, and a closure adapted to rest against said seat and to be held in closed relation therewith by the pressure in the deliverychamber acting against a greater area on the dislr than the area opposed to the pressure in the supply-passage, said closure In a differential valve,rthe combination lll) adapted to be vinfluenced by gravity to moveV across the seat when lifted away therefrom.

8. In a differential valve, the combination with a casing having a delivery-chamber V provided With an inclined bottom vva-ll with a supply-oriliee opening therethrough, of a closure adapted to seat across the .supplyorifice and to be displaced therefrom by the action ot' gravity which causes the closure to slide across the bottoni wall of the chamber when lifted `free from t-he supply-orifice upon the relief of pressure in the deliverychamber.

9. In a differential valve, the combination ol a casing comprising' a delivery-chamber provided with a bottom-plate having a supply-orifice opening therethrough, an annular raised seat surrounding the` supply-orifice, a disk adapted to rest against the seat in spaced relation with the upper face of said bottom plate, a flexible annulus overhanging the perimeter of' the disk to adapt it to seat against the face of the bottoni plate., and a substantially infiexible annnlns on the disk overlying the fiexible annulus in spaced relation thereabove.

10. In a differential valve, the combination of' a. casing comprising a deliverychamber having a flat bottoni-plate With a supply-passage opening therethrough, an annular seat surrounding the supply-passage with its edge raised above the tace of the bottom-plate, a disk-like closure adapted to rest against the raised edge of the seat, a flexible gasket overlying the disk and overhanging the perimeter thereof to provide an annulus adapted to seat against the face of the bottom plate, and an atmospheric-disk overlying the flexible gasket.

1l. In a differential valve, the combi-nation of a casing comprising a delivery-chainber having a fiat bottom-plate with a supply-passage opening therethrough, an annular seat surrounding the supply-passage with its edge raised above the face of the bottom-plate, a disk-like closure adapted to rest against the raised edge of the seat, a flexible gasket overlying the disk and overhanging the perimeter thereof to provide a surrounding annulus adapted to seatagainst the face of the bottom-plate, and an atmospheric-disk overlying the gasket on the main disk and spaced thereabove to permit the gasket to flex.

l2. In a differential valve, the combination of a casing comprising a delivery-chamber-having a flat bottom-plate With a supply-passage opening therethrough, an annular seat surrounding the supply-passage With its edge raised above the face of the betteln-plate., a disk-like closure adapted to rest against the raised edge of the seat in eoncentric relation therewith While overlying the face of the bottom-plate in spaced relation therewith, a flexible annulus overhangin-g the perimeter of the closure to adapt it to seat against the face of the bottoni-plate, and a substantially inflexible annulus overlying the flexible annulus in .spaced relation thereabove.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES F. PECKHAM. 

